Software Alternatives & Startups
Register | Login

Substack VS MembershipWorks

Compare Substack VS MembershipWorks and see what are their differences

Substack

With Substack, anyone can start a publication that combines a personal website, blog, and email newsletter or podcast. It's quick and simple.

Rating
0 reviews
Alternatives Is it good?
MembershipWorks

Membership software for WordPress, SquareSpace, Weebly, Wix, Duda, Drupal, Joomla, Spacecraft, WithoutCode and other websites. Serving chambers of commerce, associations, non-profits, clubs, societies, cooperatives, and groups.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Freemium $35 / Monthly (Up to 300 accounts)
Alternatives Is it good?
Eventtia
Event management software that runs the full lifecycle on one platform: branded event pages, registration and ticketing, email, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns, on-site check-in and badging, B2B matchmaking, a mobile app, and cross-event analytics. sponsored
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Substack seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 107 times since March 2021.

social mentions
107 vs 0
Blogging popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 115

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Substack
MembershipWorks
Website substack.com membershipworks.com
Pricing —
Freemium $35 / Monthly (Up to 300 accounts) Official pricing
Platforms —
Cross Platform
Company Startup from the United States —
Listed in
Creators Blogging Paid Newsletters CMS +1
Membership Billing Membership Management Event Registration Nonprofit CRM Classifieds Ads Job Boards Events Association Management Software Directory +6

About Substack and MembershipWorks

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

Substack
MembershipWorks

No description of Substack yet.

MembershipWorks is a membership management software system with: * online payments and member billing * event calendar and event registration * member directory with member profiles * donations, shopping cart, forms * job boards * classified ads * notice boards * member only content * member...

Read more about MembershipWorks

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Substack 6 features
MembershipWorks 35 features
  • Ease of Use
    Substack offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for writers to publish and monetize their newsletters.
  • Built-in Monetization
    Writers can easily charge readers for subscriptions, allowing for straightforward monetization.
  • Direct Audience Connection
    Substack allows writers to build a direct relationship with their audience via email, which can lead to a more engaged readership.
  • Discovery and Community
    Features like staff picks and recommendations help writers get discovered by new readers.
  • No Upfront Costs
    Substack does not charge upfront fees; instead, it takes a percentage of subscription revenues, making it easier to start.
  • Content Ownership
    Writers retain full ownership of their content, giving them more control over their work.

Possible disadvantages

  • Revenue Share
    Substack takes a 10% cut of subscription revenues, which can add up for writers with a large subscriber base.
  • Limited Customization
    The platform has limited customization options compared to building a custom website or using more flexible CMS options.
  • Dependency on Platform
    Relying on Substack means depending on its policies and infrastructure, which could pose risks if the platform changes its terms or features.
  • Competition
    As more writers join Substack, it can become challenging to stand out amidst the growing competition.
  • Email Deliverability
    Writers may face issues with email deliverability, as some newsletters may end up in spam folders.
  • Payment Processing Fees
    Besides Substack's fee, payment processors like Stripe also take a percentage, further reducing net earnings for writers.
  • Easy to Set-up and use
  • Member Management
    Categorize and search your members with ease.
  • Member Record Keeping
  • Member Only Content
    Easily make pages and posts available to members only with our shortcodes or code snippets.
  • Calendar
    With online event registration and ticketing. You can also set up a community calendar with member-generated events.
  • Analytics and Reporting
  • Directory
    Create a public or private member directory.
  • Free Trial
    Free level with up to 50 accounts in the system. No time limit. Some features not available on the 50 free plan.
  • Events
    Post events available to the public or members only.
  • Forms
    Use our forms for surveys, volunteer signups and more.
  • Shopping cart
  • Integrations
    We connect with Quickbooks, Xero, MailChimp. We integrate with WordPress, Squarespace, Weebly and other websites.
  • Mailchimp integration
  • Quickbooks integration
  • Xero integration
  • WordPress integration
  • Squarespace integration
  • Weebly integration
    See Help documentation on which Weebly website builder to choose
  • WithoutCode integration
  • HTML5
  • Stripe integration
  • Authorize.net integration
  • PayPal Pro integration
  • Joomla integration
  • Duda integration
  • Job Boards
  • Announcement Board
  • Classified Ads
  • Job Categories
  • Spacecraft integration
  • Wix Integration
  • Drupal integration
  • UTM tracking
  • Referral tracking
  • PayPal Checkout integration

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Substack
MembershipWorks

Overall verdict

  • Substack is a good choice for writers seeking autonomy and a straightforward way to monetize their content. However, it may not be the best fit for those who prefer working within the framework of a larger publication or those unfamiliar with the challenges of building and maintaining a subscriber base.

Why this product is good

  • Substack is a platform that allows writers, journalists, and content creators to publish and monetize their newsletters. It is praised for its ease of use, built-in subscription system, and direct-to-consumer model which enables writers to retain control over their audience and content. The platform has attracted both independent writers and established journalists seeking the freedom to monetize their work without traditional media constraints.

Recommended for

  • Independent writers and journalists
  • Content creators looking to monetize their work
  • Individuals seeking a direct relationship with their audience
  • Those who appreciate simplicity in publishing

Overall verdict

  • Yes, MembershipWorks is a good choice for organizations seeking an all-in-one solution for managing memberships and events. Its robust features and flexibility make it suitable for a wide range of membership-based organizations.

Why this product is good

  • MembershipWorks is generally considered good due to its comprehensive suite of features designed for membership management. It offers event management, CRM capabilities, automated billing, and member communication tools, which make it attractive for organizations looking to streamline their operations. The platform is also praised for its seamless integration with WordPress and other content management systems, as well as its ease of use.

Recommended for

  • Non-profit organizations
  • Clubs and associations
  • Chambers of commerce
  • Professional associations
  • Educational institutions with alumni networks

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Substack 5 videos + Add
MembershipWorks 2 videos + Add

Monetizing Podcasts and Newsletters - Chris Best of Substack and Jonathan Gill of Backtracks

More videos

  • - E1016 Substack CEO Chris Best empowers writers via email newsletter platform, raised $15M from a16z
  • - Why EVERYONE should be on Substack | What it is, How it Works, $$$
  • - Beehiiv vs Substack (2024) - Which is Better?
  • - My Experience with SUBSTACK: An Honest Review of Substack

MembershipWorks Experience on Your Website

More videos

  • - MembershipWorks Widget | Tutorial by Without Code

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Substack
MembershipWorks
100% 100%
Blogging
0% 0%
0% 0%
Association Management Software
100% 100%
100% 100%
CMS
0% 0%
0% 0%
Membership Management
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Substack and MembershipWorks.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

MembershipWorks's answer:

MembershipWorks provides membership software for associations, clubs, groups, nonprofits, and chambers of commerce. The membership system manages member data, processes online payments, accepts donations, tracks financials, publishes member directories and events calendars online, and more. It's an ideal solution for organizations who are looking for a product that puts many features in one solution to simplify operations and reporting. Organizations with regular turnover also benefit from MembershipWorks' free training and support which can facilitate a smooth transition between boards or staff members.

What's the story behind your product?

MembershipWorks's answer:

Our founder, Karen Kuah, was an executive director of a local chamber of commerce prior to starting MembershipWorks. The biggest struggle at the time was finding enough time to meet all of the organization’s needs. So much time was spent on administrative tasks that Karen was not able to engage with the community as much as she wanted to.

The website for the chamber was built by a board member who loved technology and created a gorgeous website. While this was a cost-effective solution for the organization, the main problem was that only the board member could update it. So the process of making changes was inefficient and slow, and as a result managing the website was time consuming.

The chamber had also invested in a membership database system, but it was clunky and not cloud-based, so it was hard to maintain. Finding information was difficult and there were no online help options. Ultimately the organization moved out of the database onto spreadsheets, but a lot of time had to be expended on organizing and updating the spreadsheets.

Karen realized the need for a technology solution for small/medium organizations like the chamber, something that had enough features to simplify life, but not so complicated that it took weeks of training or could only be used by one person at the organization.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

MembershipWorks's answer:

Most competitors’ software are designed to work only with their own proprietary website platform, which does not offer organizations the flexibility or ability to evolve their website over time. In addition, MembershipWorks pricing is much lower than what most competitors charge. Free and unlimited support by phone, email, and live screen share training is a big plus. Most competitors do not provide the same level of support.

What makes your product unique?

MembershipWorks's answer:

MembershipWorks offers an all-in-one membership solution at a reasonable cost with support that is second to none. The system pulls many features together so that customers can take advantage of unified reporting and don't have to waste time troubleshooting integrations. MembershipWorks is focused on not only the current needs of their customers, but also their potential future needs. The system was designed from the start to integrate with almost any website platform (WordPress, Weebly, SquareSpace, Wix, Duda, etc), so customers can use the website platform of their choice today, and migrate to a different platform in the future, without disrupting their membership system. MembershipWorks provides unlimited, free individualized training, phone, and email support.

User comments

Share your experience with using Substack and MembershipWorks. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Log in or Post with

Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Substack no reviews yet
MembershipWorks no reviews yet

View more

We have no reviews of MembershipWorks yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Substack 107 mentions
MembershipWorks 0 mentions
  • Ask HN: Who wants to be hired? (October 2026)
    Substack: https://substack.com/@friedkielbasa. - Source: Hacker News / 3 days ago
  • Sync any blog via API to Substack in one-click
    Name Type Required Description Cookie String Yes Substack.sid= (browser session cookie) Accept String Yes Application/json Origin String Yes Publication origin, e.g.... - Source: dev.to / 6 days ago
  • Benchmarking Qwen3.8 27B quantizations: 4-bit holds up, 1-bit collapses
    For anyone that would like to see more quantizations tested, I can highly recommend paying a few bucks for oobabooga's testing, which is published on his Substack: https://substack.com/@oobabooga. - Source: Hacker News / 26 days ago

View more

Tracking MembershipWorks since Mar 2021.

Alternatives to Substack and MembershipWorks

When comparing Substack and MembershipWorks, you can also consider the following products.

Loading...